Maharashtra plans to generate 14k MW from non-conventional energy

The state government has set an ambitious target to generate 14,400 MW from the non-conventional energy sector. A policy in this regard will be unveiled soon. This will be a manifold increase from the 2,500 MW renewable energy target in the previous policy, which was approved in 2008.

Energy minister Chandrashekhar Bavankule said that the new policy would be tabled before the state cabinet soon. Of the 14,400 MW target, 7,500 MW is expected to come in from the solar sector, and wind energy and baggase-based co-generation will contribute 5,000 MW and 1,000 MW respectively. Small hydro power projects, which have a capacity of 5 MW and less, will make up for 400 MW. At least 300 MW is proposed to be generated from industrial waste and 200 MW from biomass.

Bavankule said that the state had completed and surpassed the 2,500 MW target in the previous policy.

This target included 2,000 MW from wind energy, 1,000 MW from baggase-based cogeneration (by sugar factories), 400 MW through biomass and 100 MW from small hydro projects. This policy had been approved in September 2008. The Maharashtra government has been announcing policies from 1996 onwards to promote generation of power through clean and non-conventional energy sources.

The Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) promotes the development of non-conventional energy resources.

The state controlled electricity generation utility — Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MahaGenco) — too has commissioned around 180 MW solar power projects and plans to take it to around 450 MW by the end of the 2015-16 financial year, which is one of the highest by state utilities. In November 2014, it commissioned a 50 MW grid connected solar power project at Baramati on a public private partnership (PPP) basis. This project is expected to generate 83 million units of power annually. The MahaGenco also has a 5 MW project at Chandrapur and a 125 MW facility at Sakri in Dhule, which is the largest in the country.

The Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has set a target to add capacity to the tune of 29,800 MW from the various renewable energy sources during the XII five-year plan period. This includes 15,000 MW from wind, 10,000 MW from solar, 2,100 MW from small hydro and 2,700 MW from bio-power. In the 2012-13 to 2014-15 period (up to January 31, 2015) around 9,124 MW of renewable energy projects have been installed in the country. Solar energy, which has an installed capacity of 3,000 MW, accounts for about 2% in the country's power sector.
Maharashtra has seen 3,083 MW non-conventional energy projects being operationalised between April 2010 and March 2014.